Soft Light in Shadow
by SouthernSweetness
Summary: A girl afraid of the dark follows her dreams and has the key to them crushed, quite literally, by the Host Club. As they try to redeem themselves, Sarah finds an unlikely ally in a boy afraid of light.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Please be kind, this is my first fanfic ever. I'm going to update with or without reviews, but feel free to leave them if you like/don't like the story. Chapter 2 is coming soon!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Ouran High School Host Club characters, only my OC.

Kyoya Ootori stopped with his hand on the door handle of the third music room as a sweet melody reached his ears. The sound was coming from inside the room, which was strange considering the Host Club commanded exclusive use of the space.

Instead of confronting the trespasser directly, for the time being, the younger Ootori was content to sneak in and observe. His vibrant eyes fell upon a lone violinist seated in the center of the room. The wisp of a girl was clearly lost in her haunting, but beautiful song, and Kyoya soon found himself entranced as well. Other club members crept into the room just as silently to listen as they awaited customers.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sarah wandered down the hallway of Ouran High School, clutching her tattered violin case to her chest as she walked. The instrument was her security blanket in the unfamiliar surroundings of her new school, but she now struggled with the problem of finding a quiet place to practice – _alone._ There were multiple music rooms, much to her delight, but so far they had all been full or at least occupied. The petite brunette started to give up and go join the rest of the music students, but she found the third music room empty.

She made her way to a chair towards the center of the room, and briefly wondered why a music class would need the plush padded loveseats that dotted the floor with the chairs. She sat down and opened the well-worn buckles on her violin case, then took out her bow. Sarah hummed to herself as she applied a small amount of rosin to the hairs and took the instrument itself out. It too had seen better days, but despite the worn varnish and scratches, the violin produced an amazing sound. Sarah had purchased it with birthday money years ago from a secondhand store, and the two had been inseparable ever since.

Sarah finally began to play, first basic warm-ups, then moving on to more challenging pieces of music. She immersed herself fully into the Irish folk piece she was preparing for an upcoming recital and failed to notice the Host Club's customers filter into the room until she had finished the song. The resulting applause startled the musician, who turned beet red and glanced around the room nervously.

"That was amazing, princess," said a tall, blonde boy as he presented a red rose to Sarah.

"Uh, well, thank you," she said softly, "Who are all of you?"

"You mean you don't know where you are?" asked a pretty, raven haired girl nearby, "Though, I'm not surprised you haven't heard of the Host Club if you look like that every day." She and the surrounding females snickered amongst themselves.

"I thought I was in a music room," she said, "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"I think your playing was nice for the customers," one of the hosts said. Sarah looked over to see a handsome youth with short brown hair and feminine eyes smiling at her.

"You do?" Sarah asked timidly, her face turning even redder.

"Yep. I'm Haruhi and the flirt next to you is Tamaki, the Host Club president," he told her.

Sarah glanced at the boy with the flower and finally accepted the rose from his outstretched hand, "I'm Sarah."

"You are the new arts scholarship student from the U.S., correct?" asked a black haired boy as he looked up from a laptop computer.

"Yes," said Sarah, "How did you know?"

"I am Kyoya Ootori, and you could say that my family has "connections" to all sorts of information," he answered.

"Why don't you have some cake with me, Sarah-chan?" asked a short blonde boy seated at one of the tables.

"Well, I could have a small piece if it's no trouble," she said, "What's your name?"

"I'm Hunny and this is bun-bun and Mori," he said while holding up a stuffed rabbit and pointing at the rather tall person next to him.

"Ah," said Mori.

Sarah smiled and made her way over to the table with Hunny, who halved his strawberry cake with her. "Thank you, Hunny."

"You're welcome, Sarah-chan!" he responded as he stuffed a cake-topped fork in his mouth.

As Sarah was eating, she heard dual male voices arguing over something only to discover her violin was the center of the quarrel.

"You should put that back, Hikaru," said one to the other.

"I just want to look at it, Kaoru," Hikaru told him.

"Please," Sarah said, "put my violin back."

"What if I want to play it?" Hikaru asked with a smirk on his face. He grabbed Sarah's bow and proceeded to try playing the instrument, resulting in horrible noises that caused customers to cover their ears.

"It's not that easy," Sarah told him, "I've been playing since I was seven."

"Fine, I'll put it back," he said, but as he went to place the violin back in its case, the catastrophe that was Tamaki barreled into him at a full run, knocking them both to the ground on top of it. The sound of shattering wood and breaking strings resounded throughout the room, causing everyone to stop and stare, including Sarah.

She gasped in horror as Hikaru and Tamaki got up to reveal the wreckage of her precious violin and slowly bent down to pick up the neck, which was all that was intact, and blindly ran for the nearest door with tears clouding her vision.

The twins and Tamaki watched in horror as the distraught girl unwittingly ran into the door that led to the basement. They knew what awaited below the music room.

"Oh, no!" wailed Tamaki, "Not only did we break the violin, we sent our lady of song to her doom!"

"You two should have been more careful," Haruhi scolded.

"Haruhi is right," Kyoya said, "Sarah is an even worse case than her."

"Really?" Tamaki asked curiously.

"Yes, really," Kyoya answered, "and since you and Hikaru destroyed the reason she got a scholarship, I'm guessing she will be forced to return to America and be destitute once more."

"We can't let that happen!" Tamaki declared, "I'll adopt her as my second daughter and buy her a hundred violins!"

"Tamaki, be reasonable," Haruhi said, rolling her eyes, "She probably won't even look at you now, plus she's with Nekozawa."

"We must rescue daughter number two!" said Tamaki as he donned a costume set of armor in record time and marched towards the basement door.

Meanwhile, Sarah had not yet noticed the blackness of the room around her as she cried on the floor of wherever she was. Her violin was gone, and with it her dreams of becoming a musician. She would be made to leave Ouran after only a week and return to living in a cramped trailer in South Carolina with her mother and four younger siblings.

"What is it that troubles you so?" said a velvety voice from nearby.

Sarah looked up and realized she had been sitting in complete darkness for a good while now. "Please, whoever you are, can you turn on the lights?" she asked in a scared, shaky voice.

"This is all I can do," the person said as the dim glow of a single candle lifted the veil of shadows just a little bit.


	2. Chapter 2

Sarah stared at the shadowed figure standing just outside of the small white candle's glow radius, slightly frightened, but oddly curious as well.

"Thank you for lighting the candle," she said, "Who are you?"

"Umehito Nekozawa," he said, "President of the Black Magic Club."

"Black Magic Club?" she repeated, "I never knew there was one of those at this school."

"Most don't," he responded with a slight sigh she could barely hear.

"Is black magic the reason you're down here in the dark?" she asked.

"Partially," he replied, "but I have Beelzenef to keep me company."

"Beelzenef?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Nekozawa held up a hand, upon which was a puppet shaped like a cat, "This is Beelzenef."

The puppet made Sarah smile despite the events that had just taken place with the Host Club, "He's cute."

"You think he's…cute?" Nekozawa asked warily.

"Of course, I like cats, puppets included," she assured, "I'm Sarah, by the way."

"I am honored to meet you, Miss Sarah," Nekozawa said with a dramatic bow from the darkness, "but what made you come rushing in here just now?"

"I was upset," she answered as she cradled the neck of the violin in her hands, "I didn't want them to see me cry, so I ran away. I didn't know what else to do."

"Them?" he asked.

Before Sarah could get a chance to answer, the basement door burst open to reveal the armored Tamaki while flooding the entire room with bright fluorescent lights from above.

"Unhand daughter number two, fiend!" the blond ordered, waving a plastic broadsword in a threatening manner. The other hosts watched from the safety of the doorway as Tamaki lost his balance and tumbled down the single flight of stairs.

Nekozawa's first instinct was to scurry away from the horrible, blinding light, but he noticed quickly that Sarah was in a direct path to be squashed by Tamaki. He found the momentary courage to push the girl out of the way, but was not able to get himself away before the host landed on him.

Sarah got back to her feet slowly and stared at the flailing pile of plastic armor and black cloth in what could only be described as shock and anger. She walked to the two boys and bent down to help one of them up.

Tamaki was brimming with glee as his new-found second daughter ran to his rescue. His inner theater displayed a scene of a rescued princess aiding her fallen hero, but it was cut short when it was not his hand she grabbed. He lept from atop Nekozawa and curled up in the nearest corner, growing toadstools from the tips of his ears.

"Are you all right, Nekozawa?" Sarah asked as she made an attempt to help him up. He immediately went for his black hooded cloak and draped it over his slender frame to shield himself from the intruding light before turning to face her.

"Yes," he replied, "You are unhurt?"

The spectators at the top of the stairs all raised eyebrows at this except for the ever-serious Kyoya. He descended the stairs towards Sarah and Nekozawa with a legal pad in his hands.

"Sarah," he started, "since the Host Club destroyed your only means of remaining at Ouran, it owes you a debt. We will replace your violin."

"Really?" Sarah asked, still not entirely convinced the host club members were trustworthy, aside from Hunny.

"Yes," Kyoya confirmed as he handed her a sheet of paper he had just marked with an ink stamp. "That note bears the crest of the Ootori family and is only good for the music store a few blocks from the school's premises. You may choose whichever violin you like, on one condition."

"Condition?" Sarah asked, her temper flaring, "You mean to tell me you're placing conditions on replacing the violin two of your members broke?"

"Sarah," Kyoya said, "I'm well aware that the violin you were using was little better than firewood as far as quality is concerned. The fact that you could play it at all was simply amazing.

"It was good enough," Sarah said in retaliation.

"Perhaps," he countered, "but from a financial standpoint, giving you the value of that instrument would not buy you a decent, playable one as a replacement."

Sarah thought about it, and soon realized he was right, "Fine, what is the condition?"

The Shadow King smirked, "Your little concert this afternoon was quite the highlight for most of our customers, and they have commented that they would like to have more of such at future events. The condition would be that you come play when we are open."

"That's it?" she asked, "I just come here and play when you have your Host Club things?"

"Well, not only that," he explained, "You would have to be in-costume when necessary and adopt some better grooming habits." He pointed to her hair with his pen.

The girl blushed profusely at his blunt comment and hung her head slightly, "Fine. Just let me know when I need to be here."

"The schedule is posted on the door," Kyoya said, "You are to be here fifteen minutes early unless otherwise noted. We will provide the music pieces as needed."

Sarah felt as though she had just sold her soul for a violin and started to climb the stairway out of the basement with the Ootori-marked paper in her hands when Nekozawa let out a mournful cry.

"Beelzenef!" he shouted as he ran towards the spot on the floor where he and Tamaki collided earlier. The cat puppet was ripped, frayed, and dirty, likely because of the armor the host had on. "Look what you did to poor Beelzenef!"

Sarah stopped when she heard Nekozawa yell, and turned to see the mysterious young man cradling the cute cat puppet he had when she first saw him. She suddenly felt very guilty about its current condition. She walked down the stairs again towards Nekozawa and tentatively placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Nekozawa," she said, "I'm sorry Beelzenef got hurt because of me, but I can sew enough to fix the damage if you will allow it."

He looked at her from underneath his cowl, mostly in surprise because she touched him and offered to fix his best friend. "You can make him better?"

"Sure," she said, "If you will let me take him, I'll fix him up after I get back from the music store this afternoon."

"Don't touch that thing!" Tamaki yelled, forgetting his pouting from earlier, "You will be cursed, and daddy doesn't know how to make those better!"

"Daddy?" Sarah repeated to herself as the twins drug the host up the steps, followed by Kyoya.

"Don't forget your schedule as you leave," he told her, shutting the door behind him.

She cringed as the darkness settled over them once again, "Nekozawa?"

"Yes, Miss Sarah?" he asked.

"Would you mind relighting that candle until I can get up the stairs?" she inquired.

A moment later, the candle bathed the front of the room in a soft light. It was just enough to soothe Sarah's nerves and allow her to see enough to collect the battered Beelzenef from Nekozawa.

"You will bring him back tomorrow, right?" he asked in an almost pleading tone.

"Of course I will," she assured him, "Better yet, why don't you come with me to the music store this evening? We can get something to eat while we're out and you can come back with me to fix your friend here."

"Come back?" he asked, "Why would we come back here?"

"I live in one of the student apartments on campus," she told him.

He contemplated for a while before reluctantly agreeing to go with her, but only if he could still wear his robe until the sun set. Nekozawa also requested to keep his dear Beelzenef until they reached Sarah's apartment later.

Sarah waved at him as she left the depths of the basement, smiling slightly to herself. She took out a notebook to copy the Host Club's schedule as she walked out of the Third Music Room on her way to yet another class.

**A/N:** I hope chapter two wasn't a let down for anyone waiting to read it, and I'm sorry for the late update. Work got in the way of it before now. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and/or added this story to their watch list.

One of the reviewers asked about this story being OC/Nekozawa, and though the host club will be involved in the story, I was of the opinion that Nekozawa's character is pretty deep for the few times he appears in the anime(I'm still working on reading the manga version). It left me wanting to know more about the guy. Since there's not much official stuff on him, I decided to write something mostly based on him and my own character.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Thanks to everyone who has added this story to their favorites and/or added a review. I wasn't sure how successful this attempt would be being my first fic and all, but I'm glad some folks like it! Hopefully Nekozawa doesn't seem too out of character, but I figured he's probably a little different away from school.

Sarah sat on a shaded, wrought iron bench outside of Ouran High School near the main gate. She grew Increasingly nervous as more students poured out of the school that were not Nekozawa, and wondered if she had been too bold to ask him to come with her to the music store and to her apartment afterwards, but he seemed alarmed when she suggested taking Beelzenef away from him for the night. She sighed and started to get up to leave on her own before noticing a figure shrouded in black beside her on the bench.

"Goodness!" Sarah exclaimed, clutching her chest for a brief moment, "You startled me."

"I'm sorry," he said softly, "You seemed deep in thought."

"You could say that," she told him, "I was a little afraid you wouldn't come."

Underneath the hood, Nekozawa blinked in surprise. This girl actually _wanted_ him to go with her?

When he regained composure, Nekozawa responded, "Beelzenef needs medical care, and I cannot provide that myself."

Sarah giggled inwardly at the cat puppet needing a doctor before heading along the pathway that led outside of Ouran and motioning for Nekozawa to follow, "Come on, your friend will be good as new before the night is over."

With his longer legs, the Black Magic Club's president caught up with Sarah quickly and walked quietly beside her as they neared the town. The comfortable silence went unbroken until Sarah realized she was more than a little lost.

"Nekozawa, do you know where the music store is Kyoya talked about earlier?" she asked, blushing.

"Two blocks ahead and to the right," he said, "Have you not been in town before?"

"No," she said, "Classes started the day after I arrived, and I haven't really had the money to do a lot around here."

"Ah," he said, understanding somewhat, "My family has never had an issue with money, but I must confess I don't visit public places often."

"I don't either," she said, "but I don't want to spend my entire time here cooped up in my apartment."

Meanwhile, five pairs of various colored eyes followed Nekozawa and Sarah's every action. Tamaki Suou strained to hear the subject of the conversation his newest child was having with the monster, but to no avail.

"Can't you all just leave them alone for the evening?" asked a very disinterested Haruhi.

"But Haruhi," Tamaki whined, "Sarah will end up cursed by that cat!"

"Maybe she likes Nekozawa." Haruhi stated bluntly. This caused the twins and Tamaki to gape at her and then start laughing uncontrollably while rolling on the ground.

"A girl…liking…Nekozawa," Hikaru and Kaoru gasped between fits of laughter.

Haruhi rolled her eyes at the spectacle and said, "You know they're probably at the store by now, right?"

"We lost them!" cried Tamaki as they dashed down the sidewalk and around the block, pulling Haruhi along with them as they went. Once they reached the music store, the boys, except for Hunny, crouched at the shop window so they could peer in without being spotted.

Sarah looked around in wonder as she and Nekozawa stepped inside the doors. Instruments of all varieties from electric guitars to Japanese folk instruments lined the walls and glass display cases, and the smells of polishes and various lubricants filled the atmosphere around them. It was a comforting place for her, but it seemed to make her companion a little nervous.

"Are you alright?" she asked him.

"I feel a little out of place here," he confessed, "I know very little of musical instruments."

"I don't know much about them either if they don't resemble a violin," she told him.

"Can I help you?" asked a portly middle-aged shopkeeper with bifocal glasses.

"Do you have any violins in stock?" Sarah asked him.

"In the back corner," he said pointing, "Feel free to browse and let me know if you need any help."

"Thank you," she replied, walking to the back of the store with Nekozawa at her heels.

They found the violin display without much effort, and Sarah began looking over each one of them. All of the instruments were well-made European models with a variety of different wood grains and finishes. Most were meant to appeal to people like Kyoya Ootori with finely carved tuning pegs and head pieces.

"These are all so fancy," she remarked to Nekozawa, who was also admiring them, "I couldn't see myself playing a violin like this."

"What of that one?" Nekozawa said, pointing to a violin he had noticed.

Sarah looked to where he was pointing and saw a simple, but beautiful honey colored instrument of Russian descent.

"It looks perfect!" she exclaimed softly, running her fingers lightly over the curves of the violin, "Will they let me try it?"

"I cannot say," he replied, "I haven't been in here before either."

"Wait here just a second," she said as she left Nekozawa alone with the violins and headed to the counter.

Nekozawa watched as the small girl convinced the salesperson to allow her to try the violin, grinning under his hood as she was handed the matching horsehair bow. He gently picked up the instrument and handed it to Sarah when she returned.

"Thank you, Nekozawa," she told him, smiling slightly. She applied a bit of borrowed rosin to the new bow and positioned herself to play.

"Here goes," she said as she tested a few long notes for pitch and sound quality. She then launched into a slow rendition of a colonial American folk tune she didn't know the name of.

Sarah's companion could only stare as she played and listen as the beautiful warm tones of the song filled the shop. It was comforting to Nekozawa for some reason. Actually, he found the entire outing to be rather enjoyable and suddenly felt guilty for forgetting Beelzenef.

The song soon ended, and Sarah smiled broadly as she relaxed from the more rigid playing posture.

"This one is the right one," she told Nekozawa, "Thank you for pointing it out."

"I agree," he told her honestly, "However, I think any of these would suit your talent."

She blushed at the unexpected compliment, "Let me give the shopkeeper the note from Kyoya, then we'll go."

The pair walked to the counter and Sarah presented the Ootori-stamped note to the man, who held it up to a light to compare it to a stamp he had.

"It looks official enough to me," he said, "Enjoy the purchase."

Once the violin and bow were securely placed in a case, they stepped out of the store to look for something to eat.

"Nekozawa, where are some places to eat?" she asked, hoping they weren't expensive.

"Back near the center of town," he said, "There are food stands all over."

Nekozawa was not wrong, as Sarah soon learned. The sidewalks were lined with carts selling everything from sweet fruity crepes to pork buns, and her stomach growled audibly at the promise of something warm to eat.

"What would you like, Miss Sarah?" Nekozawa asked, lowering the hood of his robe to reveal his face for the first time since the disaster earlier.

"There is so much here I have never tried before," she said, "I don't know how to choose."

"There," he said pointing to a colorful cart with pictures of meat painted on the sides, "I think a beef bowl would suit you."

"I trust your judgement," she said as they approached the stand, "Why did you take your hood down just now?"

"The sun is setting," he said, "It's not as bright now."

"I like seeing your face on occasion," she told him, earning a rare blush from the young man. Seeing him blush made Sarah realize exactly what she just told him, and she felt her own face heat up.

Fortunately, at that moment they were able to order food, and Sarah went from being embarrassed to worrying about paying for the meal once they both placed orders.

"Miss Sarah," Nekozawa said, "Order what you wish and it will be my treat."

"I couldn't ask you to do that," she said, "I owe you for causing the incident earlier."

"You owe me nothing," he said in the most stern tone she had heard from him yet, "I will pay."

Sarah and Nekozawa placed their orders with the cart attendant and ate as they walked back in the direction of Ouran, once again enjoying a comfortable silence.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **This chapter should shed a little light(hehe, lame pun) on Sarah's past and bring our two heroes a little closer together. It is based on someone I knew who went through a similar thing. Thanks to everyone reading this story!

The sun finally dropped into the shadow of the earth as Nekozawa and Sarah made their way to her on-campus apartment, shrouding the sidewalks in an eerie darkness broken only by the occasional street light. Nekozawa grew more relaxed, but he could sense the petite violinist was growing increasingly nervous.

"Miss Sarah," he said, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she said. She spoke far too quickly and softly for Nekozawa to be convinced.

"They seem to be quite comfortable together now," Kaoru whispered to Hikaru from the shelter of a long row of hedges lining the sidewalk back to Ouran.

"You're right," said Hikaru in agreement, "Nekozawa has been almost normal tonight."

"Don't say such things!" Tamaki whispered loudly, rattling the bushes next to Sarah during the tantrum.

Sarah grabbed hold of Nekozawa's sleeve as the juniper hedges next to her shook violently. He flinched at the sudden contact, causing her to let go abruptly.

"I'm so sorry, Nekozawa," she said, "Something startled me and I grabbed the nearest comforting thing on impulse."

"It's quite all right, Miss Sarah," he said, "Other people don't often touch me voluntarily. You find me comforting?"

"Well, yes," she said truthfully, noting the surprise in his clear blue eyes as he registered the response, "You saved me from being squished earlier and don't treat me like I'm dirty for not having money."

A rare smile graced his face, "I am happy to have met you today, Miss Sarah."

"Likewise, Mister Nekozawa," she mocked playfully before remembering the darkness surrounding them. The smile faded from her lips as she concentrated on keeping her fear to herself.

"Miss Sarah?" Nekozawa asked, tentatively placing a hand on the girl's slightly shaking shoulder, "What are you afraid of?"

Sarah sighed as she told him, "I've had a fear of dark places since I was little."

"Oh," he said, "Just the darkness scares you?"

"It's childish, I know," she said, "I can't help it."

"I cannot stand bright lights," Nekozawa told her, "It's a family curse."

"Is that why you wear the cloak?" she asked.

"Yes," he answered, "I don't think your fear is childish."

"Thanks," she responded.

"Pardon me for prying," he said, "but is there a reason you fear the dark?"

"There is," she replied, "but it's a depressing story and I don't want to scare you off the first day."

"I shall not be frightened away so easily," he said in an overly dramatic tone, earning a true smile from Sarah.

"We're here," Sarah announced as they approached the steps of her apartment at Ouran. She ruffled through the tiny purse she carried for a moment before pulling out the tiny, ornate silver key and unlocking the fine oak door.

Nekozawa glanced around the apartment as Sarah invited him in. It was simple, like most dorm rooms, but all of the furnishings were top quality. A cherry wood twin bed stood along the wall to the right of the door covered in a blush pink blanket that matched the painted walls perfectly. A cherry sitting table and chairs for two graced the rear-middle of the rectangular room, and a matching dresser adorned the left wall.

Sarah turned two white ceramic incandescent lamps on at the dimmest setting so as to not frighten Nekozawa and motioned for the young man to have a seat at the table.

"That should be enough light to repair your friend and keep the willies at bay," she told him.

"Willies?" he asked as he gingerly set Beelzenef on the table.

"Fears," she said simply as she removed a sewing kit from a drawer of the dresser and sat on the chair opposite Nekozawa. She picked up the cat puppet and expertly started fixing the tears, sticking her tongue out slightly as she worked.

Nekozawa watched the girl work and admired the intensity of her emerald eyes as she concentrated on patching up his trusted companion and only friend up until today. An unusual feeling wound its way around his core, but he could not pinpoint a description for it and merely accepted that it existed for now. He could not help but wonder what part of her past caused her to fear the shadows.

"Sarah?" Nekozawa asked softly.

"Yes?" she asked as she looked up from her work, her green eyes staring into his blue ones from underneath a stray curl or two of her chocolate hair.

"You mentioned a story before we arrived," he said, "Would you mind telling me what made you so scared of the dark?"

"I don't suppose it could hurt," Sarah said, a look of sadness passing over her features as she considered his request. "You have to swear not to tell anyone else, though."

"Miss Sarah, the only creature I could tell is here already," he told her while motioning to Beelzenef, "I will respect your privacy if you do not wish to tell the tale."

"No, it's okay, Nekozawa," she assured him, "I just don't like thinking about it more than I have to."

"My parents were really young when I was born," she began as she resumed sewing, "and my mother worked full time at a local deli during the day while my dad kept me. His idea of babysitting was not exactly healthy, and he resorted to locking me in their bedroom closet until near time for mom to come home."

"He kept you in a closet?" Nekozawa asked, "How long did that go on?"

"For a few years," she told him, "It was always dark and I was always alone."

"I understand now," Nekozawa said, "I'm sorry for asking you about it, Sarah."

"Don't be," Sarah responded, "It's actually good to talk about it with someone for a change."

"What stopped your father?" he asked.

"My mother did," she said, "She got off of work early one day and called the police when she found out what was going on."

Nekozawa listened intently as she continued, silently angry at the fool for locking her away.

"We ended up moving out of the house and into a mobile home at a park nearby," she explained, "My mom always seemed sad after all of that happened, and she started seeing all kinds of men. I ended up with a younger brother and three sisters in the same trailer."

"Sorry if I'm nosy," he said, "but what of your father?"

"He's still in jail," she said, "Turns out he had been in the illegal drug trade on the side, and he was charged for that along with the child neglect."

"He deserves that," Nekozawa said, "Pardon me for saying so."

"I agree," she said, smiling slightly as she held up an intact version of Beelzenef for his inspection, "Look, he's all better now, but he's still a little dirty."

"Amazing," he almost whispered as he gingerly took the cat and placed it on his left hand, "Thank you Miss Sarah."

"You're welcome," she replied, "I would wash him for you if the wash center was open this late."

"I think I can manage that," he told her.

"Just make sure you use a delicate cycle so his stitches don't come loose," she warned.

His eyes widened in horror as he pictured the puppet coming undone, "Yes, of course."

She smiled, "It's hard to believe this was just my first day. I don't know if I can take this much excitement on a daily basis."

"I am merely guessing," he said, "but I think it will get easier."

Five right ears picked up the words of the supposedly private conversation from the other side of the door. All of the Host Club stalkers except Haruhi listened to Sarah's story.

"Wow," said Hunny with a frown, "She's been through a lot."

"Yeah," Mori agreed.

"You guys really should leave them alone," protested Haruhi, "I don't think she wanted you all to hear whatever she told Nekozawa."

"She's still with the monster, Haruhi!" said Tamaki, "Now he's coaxing secrets out of one of my daughters!"

"He's getting ready to come out, Boss," Hikaru told Tamaki. They all promptly plunged into some nearby bushes with Tamaki dragging Haruhi before noticing they were holly with thorny green leaves. A whispered chorus of "Ow!" resounded from the hedgerow.

Sarah walked with Nekozawa to the door of her apartment, opening it for him once they were near enough.

"I enjoyed the afternoon, Miss Sarah," he said. Nekozawa took her free hand in his gently and placed a light kiss on her fingers with a dramatic bow, "Thank you for healing Beelzenef."

"You're most welcome,"she responded. She smiled and attempted an equally dramatic curtsy, but failed miserably, earning a laugh from Nekozawa and a wave of Beelzenef as he turned and faded into the surrounding shadow.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** I promise the action will pick up as the story progresses, but it's important to the plot to build up the budding relationship between my OC and Nekozawa. She will need him in the future. I'm drawing on some of my own high school experiences here.

Sarah's second day of school began somewhat normally, until she entered her first class. She did not realize the day before that the Hitachiin twins and Haruhi shared the majority of her classes, but there was little hope of avoiding Hikaru and Kaoru now. The twins sauntered over as Sarah took her seat, staring at her from either side.

"Why are you both staring at me?" Sarah asked nervously, looking from one to the other.

"You went out with Nekozawa-senpai last night," Hikaru said.

"We want to know everything that happened," Kaoru finished.

"Nothing happened," Sarah told them with a sigh, "We got my new violin and I fixed Beelzenef."

"Sure..." they said simultaneously.

"I'm telling the truth," she said, looking at both of them with a slightly angry expression, "What happened to you two to give you all those scratches?"

"Uh, we fell on some bushes," Kaoru said quickly.

"Please take your seats everyone," the teacher said loudly while glaring at the twins. They quickly scrambled to their seats next to Haruhi.

"She's going to figure it out," the brunette muttered, "Especially once she sees the rest of us with matching wounds."

"I told her the truth," Kaoru smirked. Hikaru snickered on the other side of Haruhi.

Sarah managed to escape the classroom quickly once the lesson was over, avoiding the over curious twins in the crowded hallway. The young musician lost herself in thought as she walked until she smacked into something tall and landed on her rear end.

"Ugh, I'm sorry," Sarah said as she looked up at the person she ran into. "Nekozawa?"

"Forgive me, Miss Sarah," he said, extending a pale hand, "May I help you up?"

"Of course," she replied, taking the offered hand, "Thank you."

Nekozawa helped Sarah to her feet and looked at her with a serious expression, "Are you all right?"

"Yes," she answered, smiling at his concern, "I'm fine, really."

"Good," he said, holding up Beelzenef, "I had my family's servants wash him as you instructed last night. Beelzenef really does look new now."

"All of the stitches stayed in?" she asked, patting the puppet on the head lightly.

"They did," Nekozawa affirmed, "Thank you again for doing that."

"You're welcome," she replied, "We probably should be getting to class by now."

"There is a bit more time left before the tardy signal," he told Sarah, "Would you allow me the honor of escorting you, my lady?"

"I would be delighted, Nekozawa," Sarah answered, a merry sparkle lighting up her eyes at the young man's overly dramatic question, "I have a math class next and can't remember where the math wing is anyway."

Nekozawa pointed out the way as the pair walked to Sarah's math class, speaking very little until they arrived at the open door of the room.

"Have a good day, Miss Sarah," Nekozawa said softly. She waved back at him with a smile before blending into the crowd of students within the classroom.

"You're pretty happy for someone who just walked to class with the Prince of Darkness," Hikaru said with a smug look on his face.

"Why shouldn't I be happy?" she said in confusion, "Beelzenef is fine even after washing."

The twins sweat dropped and said no more as they failed to get the answer they were hoping for.

The school day eventually came to a close, and Sarah made her way back to the third music room with her new violin in tow. She entered the room timidly, and was showered with a cascade of pink rose petals.

"Ah, Sarah," Kyoya said, "Pleased you could join us."

"Likewise, I think," she replied, "Where am I supposed to sit or stand?"

"There's a chair set up for you in the back," he answered, motioning to an exquisite wooden chair and music stand near a window.

"Daddy's missed daughter number two!" Tamaki exclaimed excitedly as he bounded towards the small girl, who sidestepped out of the way with little effort. This caused her attacker to land on the floor instead.

As Tamaki moped in the corner, Sarah went to the designated chair and began to unpack the violin.

"That violin is pretty, Sarah-chan!" Hunny said with glee, "Would you like some of my cake?"

"I might have some after I'm finished playing," she told him, "The cake might get it sticky. What happened to your face, Hunny-senpai?"

"I fell in some bushes," Hunny told her, "I'll save cake for you!"

"Kyoya-senpai?" Sarah asked.

"Yes, Sarah?" he answered, looking up from his notepad.

"Am I supposed to play something special for today?" she inquired.

"We don't have a special theme for the afternoon," he said, "but perhaps something soothing for stressed young ladies."

"I can do that," Sarah said as she started rifling through her selection of music. She pulled a few pieces from the folder and then began to warm up, filling the room with sweet, dark tones from the new instrument. Once the Host Club's clients began to arrive, the scattered notes of the warm up routine morphed into a slow and simple rendition of Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring". All of her stress seemed to melt away into the music.

The door to Nekozawa's lair opened silently, allowing a figure draped in black to watch the gathering without being noticed, or so he thought.

"Nekozawa must be looking for a new victim now that his puppet is fixed," Hikaru said, making sure Tamaki could hear him clearly.

The blond host turned pale and grabbed a nearby flashlight for protection.

"What is he doing here?" asked a client with curly black hair, "I didn't think Halloween was for another few months."

"Maybe he's going to curse us in advance," giggled another girl.

Sarah was too wrapped up in music to notice much else until girls started to leave the music room. Tamaki grabbed her in a bear hug as he mumbled incoherently about his sweet daughter and her musical talent.

"That was very nice, Sarah," Kyoya complimented, earning a stare from the other hosts.

"I thought so, too, Sarah-chan!" exclaimed Hunny, "Don't you, Takashi?"

"Ah," Mori said while nodding slightly.

"Thanks," Sarah replied, "Were the song choices good enough?"

"I thought they fit well," Kyoya said, "There were several compliments."

"Have some cake now, Sarah-chan?" Hunny asked.

"I did say I would," Sarah replied, "I don't think I can eat a piece that size, though."

"I'll help," he volunteered, cutting the leftover piece of chocolate cake in half and handing part to Sarah. They ate cake as the twins and Tamaki bickered over Haruhi.

"Nekozawa-senpai is back," the female host said as the door opened once again.

"Do you need something, Nekozawa?" Kyoya asked coolly.

"Just a word with Miss Sarah," he replied.

"Sarah, you have a visitor," Kyoya announced. The girl looked up from her cake and smiled as she noticed Nekozawa.

"You needed me for something, Nekozawa?" she asked.

The Black Magic Club's president cautiously entered the room and looked around warily as he made way to the small table. A flat cardboard box peeked out from the crook of the arm that held Beelzenef.

"I have something for you," Nekozawa said softly, "Beelzenef and I agreed you should have it."

"You didn't have to give me anything," Sarah replied, blushing.

Nekozawa handed her the box and watched fearfully as she opened it with the entire Host Club present. He was afraid she would reject it and call him a freak.

Sarah pried open the thin lid of the cardboard box and unwrapped the layer of tissue paper covering the actual present. A white silk version of Beelzenef lay inside the paper. It was obviously female, since it was adorned with tiny sewed-on roses, a pink nose, and had less angry eyes than the original. (**A/N:** I plan on making a Photoshop version of the Beelzenette soon!)

"It's adorable, Nekozawa," Sarah said, "Thank you."

Tamaki gaped at the scene before him and wailed, "My little girl is cursed twice over!"

"On the contrary, Tamaki," Kyoya said sagely, "The gift of a cat is rather important in Nekozawa's family. It's more of a boon than a curse."

"I don't believe you," Tamaki stated, "Where did they go?"

"Nekozawa asked to walk Sarah home ten minutes ago," Kyoya told him, "You should pay more attention."

"What?!" cried Tamaki.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **Time to fast forward the time frame on this story a little bit so as to not bore everyone with too many same old school days. Besides, I want to get to the juicier stuff myself. Thanks to all of you who have been rather encouraging on my first ditch effort at writing a fan fiction. The reviews are nice!

The school days passed like a bolt of lightning, or so it seemed to Sarah. Fall was lurking around the corner now, and the musician looked forward to the cooler season. Not that summer wasn't nice, but it just didn't seem to have the cozy feeling Sarah loved about autumn and winter.

Since she started at Ouran, Sarah became much better friends with the unusual Nekozawa. She no longer walked to her apartment alone in the evenings, and the ever polite Black Magic Club president often had an evening meal delivered for the both of them. He never let her chip in on the bill for the food no matter how many times she asked, and she asked every time.

Sarah's time with the Host Club turned out to be a better experience than she expected as well. The boys now spoke with her in the same casual manner as they did each other with the exception of Tamaki. He was overprotective and nosy, almost like a real normal father. Sarah found that she enjoyed having the occasional piece of cake with Hunny and watching the twins bicker with each other every now and then, but she relished the rare conversations with Mori most of all. He would often comfort the nervous Sarah with a gentle pat on the head as he did Haruhi sometimes.

"Sarah-chan!" a voice yelled, startling the daydreaming girl.

"What is it, Hunny-senpai?" Sarah asked.

"Oh, nothing," the small blond boy replied, "Kyoya was trying to ask you something, though."

Sarah blushed and looked around for the Shadow King. He was at a small table in the center of the room pecking at his laptop. She got up from her chair after putting away her violin and approached him timidly.

"Kyoya-senpai?" she asked, "I'm sorry I wasn't paying attention a minute ago."

"I wouldn't worry over it that much," he replied, "You seemed lost in thought, so I left you to it."

"Ah," Sarah said in a very Mori-like fashion, "What was it you needed?"

"I'm not sure I know of too many fall season classical pieces for you to play," he told her, "I was hoping you would suggest one for next time."

"Oh," Sarah thought for a moment, "Well, Vivaldi's _Four Seasons_ has an autumn portion I could play, but I don't have a copy for a single violin."

Kyoya scribbled something on his nearby notepad and looked up at her, "Thank you, Sarah."

"You're welcome, but you're thanking me for just that?" she asked with an eyebrow raised.

"I will get the music for you," he said, "You are free to go for the night."

"Great!" she exclaimed, "Good night, Kyoya."

He watched as the girl practically skipped out the door over a piece of music and boldly hugged an unsuspecting Nekozawa waiting at the door. Unfortunately, Tamaki was also watching the spectacle.

"Unhand my little girl you fiend!" he yelled loudly, causing the both of them to blush a bright shade of pink.

"Sorry Tamaki-senpai, but I was the one that hugged him to begin with," Sarah said.

"Yeah, boss," Hikaru said, "You should be telling your little girl to unhand the fiend."

The twins snickered as the blond host paled and sulked in the nearest corner. Tamaki mumbled incoherent phrases about children and scary cursed cats.

Sarah and Nekozawa were already walking to the front entrance of the school when an office secretary approached them.

"Pardon me, but you are Sarah, correct?" the young woman asked.

"Uh, yes," Sarah said, bewildered. She looked at Nekozawa who only shrugged in response.

"Good," the black haired woman said as she handed Sarah a slip of paper, "You received a phone call today from your mother. Here is the message."

"Thank you," Sarah replied, "It says I need to call her. Where might I be able to do that?"

"You may make a long distance phone call in the office," the secretary said, "Come with me and I'll show you."

They followed her to the lavishly furnished administrative area of the school to a private phone booth. Once the workings of Ouran's phone system were explained, Sarah was able to call home and reach her mother.

"Sarah? Is that you?" her mother asked.

"Yes, mom. My friend Nekozawa is here with me." she replied, "What did you need me to call about?"

"You might not want everyone to hear this conversation, dear. It's about your father."

"It's fine, Mom," Sarah assured, "What about him?"

"He was released from prison yesterday, Sarah," the older woman said.

"Oh," was her only response.

"I told him about you going to school overseas, and he got upset," Sarah's mom said, "He said he was going over there to bring you back."

"Would he really come all the way here?" Sarah asked, "Does he even have money?"

"I'm afraid he does," was the response, "I don't know if he meant that or not, but you should be prepared just in case."

"Okay," she responded, "Thanks mom."

Mother and daughter said their goodbyes and Sarah hung up the phone with a deep sigh. Nekozawa looked at her quizzically.

"Is everything all right, Miss Sarah?" he asked.

"I think so," she said, "My father was released yesterday."

"Oh," he thought for a moment, "Is that bad?"

"Well, that part isn't bad," she told him, "My mom told me he was upset when she told him I was in Japan for school, though."

"That's hardly your fault, Miss Sarah," Nekozawa told her, "Why don't we go have dinner?"

"You're right," she agreed, "Worrying about him coming here won't help anything."

"Miss Sarah, It is a bit short notice, but would you like to eat in my home this evening?" Nekozawa asked.

"I would love to," she told him with a smile, "I wouldn't mind seeing your house regardless of the food."

Once they finally exited the school, Nekozawa led Sarah to a shiny, black luxury sedan that was waiting nearby. He politely opened one door for her and helped her in before going to the other side of the vehicle himself. The dark tint of the windows made the interior of the car pitch black when Nekozawa shut his door, but he quickly found a switch that turned a dim light on. When she could see, Sarah noted that the wig and cape were gone, but Beelzenef was still perched on his pale hand.

The ride to Nekozawa's house was mostly silent, but it was one of the frequent comfortable silences they shared. Sarah broke the silence with a gasp when she laid eyes on the estate and its sprawling grounds. A white mansion stood against the starry sky in a stately, yet inviting manner with windows trimmed in dark shutters. The circular driveway let the car drive past the many cat-shaped topiaries and night blooming flowers right up to the red brick path leading to the door.

"It's very pretty," Sarah remarked as she got out of the vehicle.

"I'm glad you like it so far, Miss Sarah," he said as he waited for her to finish admiring the grounds. The chauffeur opened the giant door for the both of them, and Nekozawa allowed Sarah to enter before him.

"Wow," Sarah said as she looked around at the foyer. She noticed a pair of familiar blue eyes watching from the top of the stairs and waved slightly with a smile. The eyes quickly disappeared from view.

"What were you staring at, Miss Sarah?" Nekozawa asked. He looked in the same direction trying to determine her focus. Sarah grinned at him.

"I swear I saw another pair of eyeballs like yours at the top of all of those stairs," she said, "Was that your sister?"

"I didn't see," he replied, "But it was probably Kirimi. Would you like to meet her?"

"Of course!" Sarah exclaimed.

Nekozawa led her up one side of the staircase and to a closed door in the east side of the house.

"Kirimi," he called, "I have a guest who would like to meet you."

The wooden door opened slightly and a little blond girl poked her head out, "She wants to meet me?"

"Yes," Sarah said, "I'd love to meet you, I'm Sarah."

"You're my brother's romantic interest!" the girl exclaimed, pointing at her, "My name is Kirimi."

Sarah and Nekozawa both blushed a deep red color.

"I think we should go down to eat," Nekozawa said quickly.

"Me too," Sarah agreed, "Would you like to eat with us, Kirimi?

"I had dinner already," Kirimi said, "Bye bye, Sarah-chan."

Sarah waved back at Kirimi before following Nekozawa down the stairs. They were near the bottom when Sarah slipped and fell into his back, causing him to fall also. The pair tumbled the last few steps before landing with a thud on the Persian rug below, but fortunately Nekozawa was able to turn around somehow and land on his back. Sarah became aware of this when she opened her eyes to stare directly into the azure depths of his.

"I'm so sorry," she said with a blush.

"It's okay, Miss Sarah," he said, "You aren't hurt at all are you?"

"No," she replied with a slight laugh, "I landed on you. Are you all right?"

"I think so," he answered. He still had not taken his eyes off her green ones and was unable to resist the urge to gently brush a chocolate curl away from her face. She blushed even more before getting up and offering a hand to him. Nekozawa accepted her assistance and emerged from the floor with only a slight ache to his backside.

The crimson tint to both faces stayed in place throughout the delicious sushi dinner and the car ride back to Sarah's apartment. Nekozawa walked with her to the door and made sure she could get inside safely before bidding her a farewell with a genuine smile. She watched from the doorway until the black car was gone from sight.

***

Thanks to almightyswot for the plot hamster for this chapter(bunnies are overused). Hopefully the short Kirimi bit was to your liking!

***


	7. Chapter 7

Sarah entered the third music room on a rainy Monday afternoon to find the entire area decorated in an ancient Roman theme and all of the hosts dressed accordingly except Haruhi. The boys were draped in lavish white togas designed to show each one's impressive chest muscles, and Sarah had to admit internally that they were all very good looking without shirts.

"So we're traveling to ancient Rome today?" Sarah asked in an attempt to make conversation.

"Indeed," Kyoya said simply, "I left a score on your stand in the back for the day's music. It's an original piece I had arranged especially for this gathering."

"Right," she said. Sarah walked back to her usual chair and sat down to look over the new music before the girls started arriving. It appeared to be a slow, dramatic piece, but the few minutes she had were not enough to go over it in detail or practice any. With a deep sigh, she opened the violin case and smiled when the familiar face of Beelzenette(**A/N: **See chapter five if you don't recall this.) stared back at her.

The host club wrapped up the evening early, much to Sarah's surprise. She grew increasingly nervous as the room's number of occupants grew smaller and smaller until only they were left.

"You played the new music well, Sarah," Kyoya remarked. The other hosts gasped at the Shadow King's rare compliment.

"Thank you," she replied, "It is okay if I take it back to my apartment to practice, right?"

"Go right ahead," he told her with a smirk, "Just don't lose it. Anyway, on to business."

Tamaki chose that moment to stand up and clear his throat dramatically, "As most of you know, our seasonal formal is only three weeks away."

"Seasonal formal?" Sarah whispered to Mori who was sitting next to her.

"Ah," was all he said as he nodded.

"I have chosen the theme for that event," Tamaki continued, "It will be tragic romance!"

Haruhi groaned and Sarah raised an eyebrow.

"Tragic romance, boss?" the twins asked simultaneously.

"Yes!" Tamaki said excitedly, "We will all wear Shakespearean costumes, and Haruhi will be able to wear a dress!"

The Hitachiins smiled evilly at each other. "We'll take care of it," they said before dragging an annoyed Haruhi inside the dressing room door.

"Am I to attend this thing?" Sarah asked.

"Of course," Kyoya replied with a slight smile, "Your presence saves me the trouble of booking an orchestra."

"I don't even own a formal dress," she said while glancing at the floor.

"Not a problem," the Shadow King told her, "The twins will have you fitted appropriately once they finish with Haruhi."

A few minutes later, Hikaru and Kaoru returned with an even more annoyed looking Haruhi and each twin extended a hand to Sarah.

"Your turn," they said, pulling her across the room and into the dressing area. Kaoru expertly took her measurements while Hikaru made notes on an expensive looking tablet.

"Okay, done," Kaoru told her, "We will have one of our mother's designer gowns ready for you in a week or so."

"Wow," Sarah said, "You two really didn't have to do that."

"We know," they said in unison, "We just want to see you in a dress that's not a school uniform."

"Figures," she muttered, "Thanks anyway."

The twins escorted her out of the dressing room, after which Kyoya dismissed the group. Sarah gathered her things and exited the room after bidding the others good night.

A week and a half passed, and as promised, the twins brought both of the girls' dresses for them to try on. The mysterious garments were kept hidden away in black clothing bags until the final customers left for the day. Haruhi and Sarah were then given their own bags and sent to the dressing area.

Meanwhile, Nekozawa waited anxiously in the shadows outside the third music room door. Sarah was much later than normal getting out, and he was a little worried about her. He reasoned internally that the other host club members had not emerged either, but that thought did little to calm him down. Nekozawa straightened his cloak and wig and drew a deep breath before entering the well-lit room.

"Ah, Nekozawa-senpai, What can we do for you this evening?" Kyoya asked courteously. The Nekozawa family was descended from a wealthy Russian dynasty, and it was in the younger Ootori's best interest to be cordial at least.

"Miss Sarah is usually ready to go home by now, and it is getting dark out," Nekozawa said, "Is she still here?"

Tamaki puffed his chest like a rooster and walked up him, "I will not assist you in corrupting my second daughter, and mother won't either!"

"Sarah is trying on her formal dress for an upcoming event," Kyoya told him without acknowledging his friend's outburst, "You are welcome to wait for her here if you like."

Nekozawa flashed a devilish grin at Tamaki and waved Beelzenef at him before taking a seat near the door. The blond paled and began loudly crying about mother being cursed before running to a nearby closet.

While the Host Club president was rummaging around frantically, Haruhi and Sarah exited the dressing room together. Both were wearing Victorian style gowns, but Haruhi's was a blush pink color with white lace and lots of ruffles. Sarah's dress lacked so many fluffy parts, but the deep purple silk was lined with black lace and matching beaded accents on the bodice of the gown.

"Haru-chan and Sarah-chan look cute!" Hunny exclaimed, "Don't you think so, Takashi?"

"Ah," Mori replied.

The twins gave each other high-fives, and even Kyoya took a second look at the dressed-up girls.

"Those will do," he said, "You both may go change back now."

Sarah felt terribly nervous the entire time she stood in front of the hosts in the elegant dress. She let out a sigh of relief when the Shadow King released them to change back into normal clothes. A familiar hand grabbed hers as she turned to go change, and she was met with the ocean of Nekozawa's eyes staring into hers as he kneeled at her feet.

"You do look lovely, Miss Sarah," he told her, "Beelzenef thinks so as well."

A series of clanks and thuds could be heard hitting the floor from the direction of the closet, and everyone looked back at the cause of the commotion. Tamaki stood near the closet door with a complete look of shock on his face and a whole box of white candles with holders scattered around him in a circle. Once the mystery was solved, all eyes returned to the more interesting couple in front of them.

"Thank you Nekozawa," Sarah said. She was blushing and smiling at the same time, "I'll be right back."

By the time Sarah emerged from changing, Tamaki had constructed a circle of white candles around Kyoya and his laptop and had started lighting them.

"What are you doing, Tamaki?" Kyoya finally asked.

"I'm purifying you of evil!" Tamaki replied, placing a string of garlic around Kyoya's neck.

"Shuoh," Nekozawa said, "Garlic only works for vampires in some stories, and the candles aren't really effective without words of power."

Tamaki lost the color in his face, and Kyoya tossed the unnecessary garlic necklace at him in annoyance. It landed cleanly on the president's head

Sarah laughed at the spectacle as she and Nekozawa left the room.

The night of the fall formal arrived in the blink of an eye, and Sarah looked upon the elegantly decorated gardens of Ouran High School from the tinted windows of a black limousine. She intended to walk to the event, but Nekozawa insisted on at least escorting her there in his family's finest car. It did feel nice to be able to exit a limo in a fancy ball gown, and she hugged the young man before doing so.

All of the hosts donned costumes depicting a different Shakespeare character except Hunny and Mori. Of course, Tamaki was the dashing, romantic Romeo and introduced poor Haruhi as his Juliet. Kyoya grudgingly agreed to dress the part of Othello, and the twins both decided to be Hamlet to keep up appearances. Mori and Hunny wore different colored jester suits complete with hat, and Hunny even decided to wear the curly bell shoes.

The music selections were mostly light, happy waltzes with the occasional slow dance piece thrown in for variety and proximity. None of it was very tiring for an experienced violinist, and Sarah found herself being able to improvise more than usual. It all made for a very fun evening.

"Sarah, you should go enjoy yourself for the last few dances," Kyoya said suddenly, "I have a decent CD player that can cover for you."

Sarah stared at him oddly, "Did I just hear you correctly?"

"You did," he told her, "I would suggest trying some of the food in back."

She got up from her seat and replaced the spot in the chair that was her bottom with her violin. Sarah couldn't help but feel awkward as she meandered to the refreshment stand and watched all of the young couples dancing.

"Would you honor me with a dance, milady?" Someone asked from one side.

Sarah turned to the voice, and her mouth dropped open when she saw it was Nekozawa. He was neatly dressed in a white suit with a deep purple shirt under the jacket to match her dress. The usual black wig was gone and replaced with his natural long, blond hair.

"I would love to," she told him, "but I have never danced before."

He took her hand, "Just follow me, Miss Sarah."

Despite her lack of skill in dancing, Sarah had complete trust in Nekozawa and allowed him to lead her into the sea of people. Another slow dance song began to play, and she looked to him for instructions.

"Put your other hand on my shoulder," he whispered. He placed the hand not holding hers just above her hip and slowly guided her in a circular motion.

"I'm really dancing?" she asked, "It seems too easy."

He laughed softly, "You are doing very well for a first timer."

After a few minutes, Sarah was able to look at her partner's face rather than her own feet. Nekozawa's face was lit with a genuine smile, but there was something different in his eyes she couldn't identify. Her own emotions also proved confusing as she gazed up at the handsome young man dancing with her. Sarah gave in to temptation and removed her hand from Nekozawa's shoulder so that her head could rest on his chest instead. The slight scent of fine cologne filled her nose and the comforting rhythm of his heartbeat reached her ear.

Nekozawa was nearly taken aback when the usually shy Sarah pulled him closer, but he did not find the sensation unpleasant. To the contrary, he liked being able to smell the floral shampoo she used.

"Nekozawa?" she murmured, "Does the light in here not bother you?"

"It is a bit bright," he told her, "but it isn't sunlight, so I should be fine."

"Good," she said, "Thank you for being here."

"You are most welcome," he said.

They danced in silence through the rest of the song, and were not unhappy when another slow one was played. By this time, Nekozawa had forgotten about proper dancing form and held Sarah in his arms as they moved. The serenity was only broken when a loud bang echoed in the open ballroom.

Nekozawa felt Sarah twitch and heard her cry out in pain as her hands slid from their positions.

"Miss Sarah?" Nekozawa asked frantically as he lowered her to the floor, "Miss Sarah!"

One of his hands was now coated in blood – her blood. The dark stain on the back of her dress was growing, but he had nothing substantial enough with him to stem the bleeding.

"Nekozawa-senpai," Kyoya said as the entire host club ran to where Sarah collapsed, "I have an ambulance on the way."

"She is bleeding," Nekozawa told him, "I need something to stop it."

"Here," Mori said. He handed Nekozawa the t-shirt he had worn underneath the jester suit.

All eyes in the room were upon the scene as Nekozawa applied pressure to the wound on Sarah's body. All manner of nervousness was forgotten in the moment, and he kept a steady hold on the shirt until the paramedics appeared. He watched helplessly as the violinist was loaded into the van.

"Go with her, Nekozawa-senpai," Kyoya told him, "They will allow you to ride along."

He needed no encouragement and climbed in the back of the ambulance before it sped away into the darkness.

* * *

**A/N:** Cute and dramatic all in the same chapter...hope it wasn't too much! Oh, and I added a link to copy/paste to Beelzenette's picture in my profile.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** This chapter sorta overlaps the last one in the beginning to cover a little more point of view on the incident. Happy New Year!

Kyoya Ootori looked about as the deafening shot put an end to the profitable fun all of the host club's clients and their dates were having at the party. The gasps and screams that reached his ears moments later sent him fumbling for the cell phone in his concealed tunic pocket. He furiously dialed the number of his family's ambulance service.

"Ootori Paramedical Services, What is your emergency?" asked the voice of a female dispatcher.

"This is Kyoya Ootori," he said quickly, "I need an ambulance dispatched to the Ouran High ballroom immediately."

"Right away, sir," she said, "May I ask what happened?"

"There has been a gunshot fired at a gathering here," he said, "A student is injured."

Kyoya hung up his cell phone without saying anything more and walked up to the scene where all of the students gathered including the remaining hosts. All bore worried expressions and watched helplessly as a frantic Nekozawa tried in vain to awaken their favorite violinist. Even Kyoya felt a slight pang of worry as the minutes ticked by since he called for the ambulance.

The sea of people surrounding the couple parted quickly when the vehicle arrived with sirens blaring. The red and blue lights created an eerie atmosphere through the giant glass windows. Medics entered the ballroom in a rush with a stretcher in tow and checked Sarah's vital signs before lifting her out of Nekozawa's arms.

"Shouldn't someone go with her?" Tamaki asked from Kyoya's left side.

"It would probably be best," he agreed. The Shadow King moved to speak to one of the EMT's.

Tamaki blanched when he overheard Kyoya telling his nemesis to get in the ambulance and protested once it was out of sight.

"Why did you let him go?" Tamaki asked, "He will curse them all!"

"Tamaki, Nekozawa is not likely to put Sarah in any more danger," Haruhi chimed in, "He was pretty shaken up himself."

"Right," Kyoya affirmed, "Nekozawa may be strange, but he does seem to care a great deal for that particular girl."

Students were still milling about when Kyoya pulled a cordless microphone from his belt and officially ended the event with a simple announcment.

"Shall we follow them to the hospital?" he asked, "There's a car waiting just outside."

Meanwhile, Nekozawa stared helplessly at the prone figure on the stretcher next to him in the ambulance. Most of her face was obscured by the bulky oxygen mask, but the visible area was horribly pale. The paramedics only said a few words in between checking various instruments and Sarah's pulse, but he wasn't in a mood for talking. His mind was currently occupied with trying to figure out who would harm someone like Sarah.

After what seemed like an eternity, the vehicle arrived at the hospital's emergency ward. Nekozawa reluctantly released the gentle grip he held on Sarah's right hand when the medics began to wheel the stretcher out. He followed as closely as he could into the facility, but was stopped by one of the nurses in the hallway.

"You will need to wait out here, sir," the older woman said, "They are prepping for surgery now."

"All right," he said with a sigh, "Will you have someone let me know when they are done?"

"Are you family?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No," he answered truthfully, "I'm a friend."

"I'm sorry," she began, "I can't allow anyone in the patient's room that isn't related without consent from her parents."

The host club arrived at the hospital to find a highly distraught Nekozawa in the waiting area. His chin rested on drawn up knees in a large chair, and he gazed absently out a large window lined with white vertical blinds.

"Nekozawa looks sad," Hunny remarked to Mori next to him.

"Ah," Mori replied.

Hunny walked up to the young man and held his Bun-Bun out to him, "Are you okay, Nekozawa?"

Nekozawa looked surprised to see the entire Host Club staring at him. He had not noticed their arrival and had to admit the short, blond boy startled him.

"I'm worried," he admitted, "I wasn't allowed inside, and they couldn't tell me anything vital."

"Here," Hunny said, waving Bun-Bun a little bit, "You can borrow my bunny, and you will feel better."

The remainder of the Host Club except Mori gasped. Hunny rarely let the stuffed rabbit out of his sight.

"You do realize that's Nekozawa, right Hunny-senpai?" Kaoru asked.

"Of course I do," Hunny said cheerfully, "He'll take care of Bun-Bun."

Nekozawa took the rabbit warily. It was oddly comforting with its strange button eyes and cute ears.

"I apologize for the wait you had out here, Nekozawa," Kyoya said from the hallway he was barred from earlier, "You can visit Sarah now if you like."

He quickly handed the stuffed toy back to Hunny and hurried up to speak with the Shadow King.

"Which room is she in?" Nekozawa asked, "Is she going to be all right?"

"Room 214," Kyoya replied, "Her condition is serious, but stable."

Tamaki attempted to follow Nekozawa as he wandered down the brightly lit corridor, but was held back by his best friend.

"Why can't I go, mother?!" Tamaki wailed, "I want to see daughter number two!"

"You can see her in a few minutes," Kyoya decreed. He gave no clear explanation for the decision.

"I agree with Kyoya-senpai," Haruhi said from behind them, "Nekozawa was here alone and worried to death for an hour."

"I bet they kiss before morning," Hikaru whispered to Kaoru just loud enough for Tamaki to catch.

"I doubt it," Kaoru argued, "They won't kiss until evening, but it'll be a sloppy one."

The blond host's eyes bulged, and he leaned closer in to hear more. The twins were playing out the scene sans kiss with high pitched voices and fluttering eyelashes.

"There will be no sloppy kisses for the two of you!" Tamaki yelled. His face turned crimson as the other occupants of the waiting room, including a doctor and some nurses, stared at him with perplexed expressions. The twins laughed hysterically at Tamaki's embarrassment, and even Mori wore a slight smile.

Nekozawa found the room Sarah was staying in with little difficulty. He was almost ashamed to enter, feeling somewhat responsible for her injury. He pushed the feeling aside and walked to her bedside where a young nurse was checking vital signs.

"Is she going to be okay?" he asked.

"I think so," the red haired nurse said with a smile, "The bullet didn't get anything vital, but we're worried about the blood loss."

"I see," he said. He watched as the nurse finished her duties.

"Use the call button by the bed if need one of us," she told him. She winked and gathered up her things before heading out of the room.

He looked upon Sarah's sleeping form with disdain. Her beautiful gown had been replaced by a standard-issue white hospital gown that nearly matched the brunette's skin.

"Forgive me, Miss Sarah," he whispered. He knelt at Sarah's bedside and gently took her pale hand in his own larger one.

Sarah teetered on the edge of consciousness a while later as rhythmic beeps filled her ears. She struggled to open her eyes and to remember where she was currently located. The faint throbbing in her lower back gave her a clue, which was confirmed when the brief disorientation passed. A warmth on her right side caused her to move her head for a better look. A familiar blond head rested on the unoccupied portion of the bed, deep in slumber. She weakly lifted a hand and compulsively brushed the long hair away from Nekozawa's face.

A strange sensation startled Nekozawa awake. His blue eyes met a still-hazy forest of green, and his head snapped up as he realized Sarah was awake.

"I didn't mean to wake you up," she said hoarsely. The grip on her hand tightened briefly.

"I'm glad you did," he told her, "You missed the Host Club, though."

"All of it?" she asked in surprise.

"Everyone," he affirmed, "They were worried about you."

"I had fun at the party otherwise," Sarah said, "Maybe we can try that whole dancing thing again after I'm out of here."

Nekozawa looked at her strangely, "You would still want to dance with me after this?"

"Of course, silly," she answered. She smiled a little when she saw the relief in the young man's expressive eyes.

A squeak from the door hinges interrupted the peaceful moment, and a middle-aged, rotund nurse entered the room with a small cart of supplies. She seemed surprised to see a visitor in the wee hours of the morning, but only smiled knowingly as she went about her business.

"It's good to see you awake," the lady told Sarah with a friendly pat on the left shoulder, "Your friend here has been watching over you since the young Ootori let him come in."

"I'm grateful he was here with me," Sarah looked up at the now-standing Nekozawa to see a pink blush spread across his nose and cheeks.

"Since he doesn't appear to be leaving in the near future, might I suggest scooting a chair close to the bed?" the nurse said as she wheeled the samples out.

"Is it okay that I stay here with you?" Nekozawa asked. He didn't want to be rude now that she was awake.

"I don't want you to leave," Sarah told him honestly, "But won't your family be worried?"

"I called them already," he said while pushing a brown leather chair over to Sarah, "They understand."

Sarah sighed softly and asked, "Do they know who shot me or why?"

"I don't know," Nekozawa told her once he was settled, "I came here with you. Do you know why someone would want to hurt you?"

"Not really," she answered, "I mean, my mom said my father was going to come get me, but who would come to Japan just to shoot his daughter?"

"There are horrible people in the world that might," he replied. He took her right hand again, "Are you cold, Miss Sarah?"

"Yeah," she admitted, "The blanket isn't very thick."

Indecision washed over Nekozawa, and he was torn between keeping her warm himself or leaving her alone while he went to find a nurse to bring another blanket. He felt an undeniable desire to hold her as he had while they were dancing earlier, but his mind also screamed that he was being selfish. A glance in Sarah's direction shattered those thoughts when he noticed she had rolled over on her right side to bury deeper in the unworthy cotton blanket. She was also staring directly at him with those intense, albeit tired, green eyes.

Sarah was more than a little happy when Nekozawa moved from the chair to the empty space on the bed near her. Had she not been so sleepy, she might have been embarrassed, but for now she simply snuggled into his chest. An arm tightened around her protectively, and Sarah finally allowed herself to fall asleep.


End file.
